


Your Undivided Attention

by PrinceofDarkness15



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Attraction, Devoted Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Eventual Romance, Eventual Sex, F/M, Professors, Teacher-Student Relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-24
Updated: 2020-05-20
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:40:37
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,960
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23813200
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrinceofDarkness15/pseuds/PrinceofDarkness15
Relationships: Kylo Ren/Rey
Comments: 25
Kudos: 88
Collections: Professor Ren/Solo Fanfics





	1. Chapter 1

"Miss Niima?" 

Professor Kylo Ren's deep voice carried across the seminar room of three-hundred-packed-to-the-brim towards the attractive brown-eyed young woman who was seated all the way at the back of the classroom. Lost completely in her own thoughts, or rather lost in translation, her head was down as she scribbled furiously her notebook.

A hundred pair of eyes immediately swung in her direction to her pale face and long lashes, her fingers clutching tightly to her ink pen. Those same eyes then swung back towards the professor, who stood perfectly still and began to scowl. 

His scathing sharp demeanor contrasted sharply with the overall symmetry of his features, his large, expressive dark eyes, and full mouth. He was ruggedly handsome, with a pale complexion and unruly dark hair, but in that moment he was bitterly severe, which rather ruined the overall pleasing affect of his appearance. 

"Ahem!" 

A modest cough to her immediate right caught her attention. She glanced up in surprise at the tall, broad-shouldered man now sitting next to her. His devilish smile and flickering soft brown eyes caused her to feel weak. She swallowed noisily, unable to even find the capability to breathe properly.

"I expect an answer to my question, Miss Niima. If you'd care to join the rest of the class." His voice was glacial, like his eyes.

The other undergraduate students shifted uncomfortably in their seats and stole furtive glances at one another. Their facial expressions said it all. _What went and crawled up his ass this morning?_

But yet, they said nothing. Yet, it was common knowledge that most graduate students are loath to confront their professors with respect to anything, let alone rude behavior. The young woman parted her mouth minutely and immediately closed it again as she stared up into those unblinking dark eyes. 

"What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?" he mocked. "I _asked_ you a question, Miss Niima. Tell me, is English your first langauge?"

A raven-haired woman sitting directly next to her tried to stifle a laugh, smothering it in a highly unconvincing cough. All eyes shifted towards the brunette, causing her skin to explode into crimson as she ducked her head, finally able to escape her professor's intense gaze. 

"Well, then..." said Ren, quickly making his way back up towards the front of the classroom once more. "...since it seems that Miss Niima seems to be carrying on a parallel sentiment in a completely different language today, perhaps, someone else in this class would be kind enough to answer my question?"

The beauty to his right was only too eager. She turned to face him and beamed as she answered his question with great detail, making a complete show of herself by gesturing with her hands as she quoted Shakespeare in proper English. When she had finished, she smiled acidly at the back of the room, and then proceeded to gaze back up at the professor and sigh. 

All the lack of her display was a quick leap to the floor and a rubbing of her back on his leg to show that she would be his "teacher's pet" forever. Not that he would have really appreciated the gesture all that much. The professor frowned almost imperceptibly at one in particular and quickly turned his back to write on the board.

The young woman blinked back her tears as she continued scribbling, but mercifully in her notebook, as always did and did her best not to cry in front of the entire class. Yeah, because that would five them something to talk about for days. _He's such an asshole!_

However, that had been a wrong move to make. Almost as if sensing her fear, reading her mind, Ren paused and turned around to look at Miss Niima once more and glared in her direction with those same, icy-dagger like eyes. "Oh, and Miss Nimma? Kindly _see_ me after class."

 _Oh great! I'm in for it now!_ She thinks as she nods curtly at him, unable to breathe. All eyes on her, she just wants to disappear right there in her seat. She's heard rumors, if you get asked to stay after class with Professor Ren, you might as well kiss your academic career good-bye. His reputation proceeds him in every way. He doesn't put up with anyone's bullshit, not even some mousy-freshman. 

Glancing nervously up at the clock hanging above the door, she began to count the minutes that ticked by. _Fifteen minutes._ That's how much time was left before class ended for the day. Fifteen minutes _until_ her she felt her life would be over. Nineteen years had hardly felt like enough time on the earth, and who knew, it would all come to an abrupt end by some insanely good-looking Greek God in a black wool-sweater. 

_Fifteen minutes. Ten Minutes. Five Minutes. Time's up, Niima!_

Collecting her books, Rey Niima shoved them into her back-packet and made little effort to follow the rest of the class now filing down the narrow steps towards the exit. Her friend, Rose Tico stood waiting outside the door with a _very_ nervous expression on her face.

Swallowing hard, Rey looked down at where Ren was now standing. His back was turned to her as he wipped away his writings on the white board. _God,_ she wanted to die right then and there!

_Why does he have to be so hot for? The severe-asshole syndrome I could handle, but, when you're fifty shades of "please, fuck me", then it's kind of hard to handle!_

"Professor?" Rey began with a shaky voice. "You wanted to see me, sir?"

At the sound of her timid voice, Ren smirked and slowly turned around to face the trembling young freshman standing before him. Freshmen were always in this sort of limbo of feeling either too confident or scared shitless. He took Miss Niima for the latter: shy, inexperienced, all-around good-girl from next door. 

"Yes, Miss Niima," said Ren in a voice almost like silk. "I did."

Rey gave a nervous glance over at Rose, quickly turned her attention back towards Ren once more. He once hardened facial features had softened slightly from the one he had given her during the lesson, so, that brought her some comfort but _only_ some. Either way, he was still intimidating as hell and that only made her even more nervous.

He gestured towards a empty chair with his eyes. Rey nodded and quickly rushed over towards it, sat down and folded her hands in her lap while Ren walk over towards the classroom door, scolded Miss Tico to get to her next class and closed it behind him. 

“Do you know why I asked you to stay behind, Miss Niima?” Ren asked, his tone rather stern in nature.

Now, normally it was never ever a good idea to response to a question with a sassy remark, especially to a teacher like Ren, yet for some reason idiotic reason, Rey was suddenly feeling... _bold._ She knew that she pay dearly for this, but she evidently wasn’t thinking clearly as the words rolled right out of her mouth. 

“Haven’t the foggiest, Professor.”

“Don’t _play_ with me, young lady,” Ren replied in a clipped tone. “I could make _your_ life a living hell so quick you wouldn’t even know what was happening.” 

_Whoa, that is was a threat? He just threatened me!_

“I’m _really_ sorry, Professor,” said Rey, quickly apologizing. “I didn’t mean anything by it, honestly.” 

With a slight click of his jaw, Ren studied Miss Niima and then murmured in a low voice, "Yes, I'm sure you didn't, Miss Niima. I've noticed that you don't really tend to participate in the lessons. Can you _explain_ to me why that is?"

Her reply was the typical, "I'm just shy", sort of thing. Ren had heard this come out of student's mouths in the past many, _many_ times before, so it wasn't exactly new to him. Yet, for some reason hearing it come from her-- _-adorable._ However, he didn't have time for _"just shy"_ individuals in his class. He expected excellence, hard work and most importantly.....participance. 

"Well, you will certainly need to break out of this _"shy"_ mold of yours if you are ever to _survive_ my class, Miss Niima, and I say that with every bit of heartfelt kindness." Ren murmured softly, though he wanted to make absolutely sure that she knew he meant business. 

Rey's spine stiffened at the harshness of his words, and she slowly glanced up at his face. What she saw nearly made her want to burst into tears. How could someone so angelic, so smart, so handsome, be so cruel? She was momentarily lost in the frozen depths of his eyes, longing for the time when they had first met and they had greeted her with such kindness.

But rather than give into her despair, she breathed deeply and decided very quickly that she had better get used to the way he was now, even though, it was a grave and rather painful disappointment. Mutely, she shook her head and went back to know to remain silent instead of embarrassing herself further.

"This is for your benefit, Miss Niima." Ren stated, leaning forward in his chair. "Don't you want to succeed?"

"Of course, I do, professor!" Rey stumbled, nodding as she spilled her poetic piece at him a rush. "I do want to do well, and I do want to please you, I just--"

"You just what, Miss Niima, and stop fiddling with that _goddamn_ bag of yours and sit in the chair like a _fucking_ human being!" 

Rey could see that he was beyond furious now, so she placed her bag on the floor and sat quietly in the uncomfortable chair he had gestured her too. She folded her hands, just tp keep from wringing them and waited for him to speak again. W _hat have I done to make to make him so angry at me?_

"You must really think you're a total comedian. So, I'm sure you thought this whole thing was funny." 

"Professor Ren, I'm sorry."

"I am not interested in your excuses, Miss Niima!" He spat angrily.

It felt as if he absolutely hated her and for what reason?! Rey couldn't think of a single thing in the time since she had first arrived to his class to this exact moment that had transpired between them to cause so much rage. To her, she was just another passing student.

"I see that you came here on a scholarship to study English lit. You honestly could've done that everywhere, but, I can understand why you chose this university. I'm the only professor in this department who is currently supervising theses in this field. Since this---" and he gestured between the two of them--"is clearly not going to work, I'm afraid that you'll have to change your thesis topic and find another supervisor. Or transfer to another department, or better yet, a completely different university."

He swiveled in his chair toward his laptop and began typing away furiously. Clearly, this conversation was over....at least for now. Rey was simply stunned. While she was sitting there, silently absorbing not only his tirade but also his conclusion. 

The professor spoke, not even bothering to lift in his eyes at her direction. "That'll be all, Miss Niima. You may leave, now."

She didn't argue with him for truly, there was no point. She slowly dragged herself to her feet, still dazed and confused, and picked up her offending bag. Cradling it to her chest, somewhat uncertainly, and slowly exited his office, looking very much like a zombie.

As the exited the building and crossed to the other side of the campus, Rey realized that she'd chosen the wrong way to head back to her dorm and without her jacket. The temperature outside had dropped, and the heavens had opened. Her thin, long-sleeved T-shirts was completely soaked only five steps outside of the building.

She hadn't even thought to bring an umbrella, or even the weather for that matter. _Good job, Rey! You idiot! You manage to not only make a fool of yourself in front of Professor Ren, but you forget something as simple as account for the local forecast._

As she walked, Rey took in some comfort in the realization that her ridiculous bag was currently serving the very proper purpose of covering her wet and possibly very see-through T-shirt and cotton bra. She didn't know why, but sincerely believed that he would be kind to her. But he wasn't. Not by a long shot.

In fact, he hadn't even allowed her to explain properly and he had also effectively dismissed her from the program. It was all over now. Now she would have to return to her to her back-wood haven of Jakku Village. Thought she'd leave Jakku Village behind try to make something of herself, thought she could go to graduate school and chase her dreams.....

Who the _fuck_ was she kidding? It was all over now, at least for this academic year, anyways.

Rey glanced down at the destroyed and now completely soaked bag as if it were an infant of sorts and hugged it tightly to her chest. After her horrid display of gracefulness and ineptitude, she didn't even had her own dignity. And to lose it all in front of him, well, it was really all too much for her to bear.

About two blocks from her dorm, Rey's long, brown hair was plastered to her forehead. Her Converse sneakers squished and squashed with every step that she took. Rain poured off of her as she were standing underneath a waterfall. Several cars from fellow students living off campus, school-buses whooshed by, and she didn't even bother trying to get out of the way as a tidal wave of dirty water crashed over her from the busy street. 

It was like a series of all of her life's disappointments, to which, she simply had just now come to accept that she most likely deserved. Yet, the low screeching of tires that rushed up behind her broke her out of zombie-like state and when she saw the passenger side window of the sleek luxury car slowly roll down, she could hardly believe the face that was staring eerily back at at her. It was Ren.

“What the _hell_ do you think you’re doing?” He asked her, his voice for once laced with concern. “Are you literally trying to catch your death out here? Get in.” 

This same man who had scolded her only minutes ago was seriously now offering her a ride? Had she somehow managed to get knocked out somewhere between leaving his office and making her way outside? Or maybe she was in such a state of shock that she wasn't able to comprehend fantasy from reality anymore?

"Are you going to stand out there all day or are you getting in?" he asked her more urgently. 

Rey hesitated and looked around. She had been the one who was foolish enough to walk around in a torrential downpour in the middle of October. Curiously, she stepped closer towards the vehicle. _Great, one more thing to make me look incredibly stupid in front of this man!_

"Either get in or walk." he threatened. 

Quickly, Rey climbed into the passenger's seat and pulled the door closed, silently apologizing for fouling the pristine black leather interior and immaculate car mats. When she finally managed to put on her seatbelt, she turned and saw a very cross Professor Ren staring back at her. She almost wanted to ask him what went and crawled up his ass to make him hate her so much, but, she fought tooth and nail against it.

She figured that she was already in enough trouble with him already, adding her stupidity to walk in a near-like tsunami didn't help the situation either.

"Thank you, Professor Ren," Rey murmured in a low voice. "It was very kind of you."

"Just tell me where you live, Miss Niima," He groaned, seemingly annoying her apology as he brought up the maps on his GPS system on the dashboard. "I have quite a lot of work to do when I get home, and I don't wish to be late."

 _Well don't let me keep it from you then, Ren!_ Rey's thoughts were speaking quite loudly now, and she wanted nothing more than to spit in his face, kick him in the shins and scratching car for the pure hell of it! _Surely, no one is born into this world that much of a dick!_


	2. Chapter 2

Professor Ren had taken a wrong turn, whether unintentionally or on purpose, Rey wasn't sure. His life, she guessed, could be describes as a series of wrong turns, but she definitely felt, that this was completely accidental. He'd been reading a text message on his iPhone while driving them through a thunderstorm in the middle of rush-hour in downtown Manhattan.

Consequently, he turned left on Liberty Street from Fifth Avenue and continued on down the street, weaving himself in and out of the slowing traffic. _Does he seriously had any idea where he is going?!_

"I know---I just wanted to say that I'm sorry---for ruining your upholstery, Professor," she offered in a hesitant voice.

Ren's fingers tightened on the steering wheel and he didn't take his eyes off the main road. "Luckily, for you, Miss Niima, I have someone who cleans it for me when it's soiled."

Rey bowed her head, for his response hurt her. Implicitly, he had compared her to dirt, but of course, that's what he thought she was now, or maybe what she's always been since they had first met. Dirty beneath his feet. Somehow, knowing that, only made the constricting sensation tighten even further around Rey's heart. 

"Where do you live?" he asked, seeking to engage her in polite and safe conversation for the duration of what he hoped would be a very short time together.

"On Trinity Church Wall Street. It's just up there on the right." She pointed to some distance old brick townhouses some distance from them.

"I know where Trinity Church Wall Street is, Miss Niima," he snapped.

 _Well, why'd you ask me then, dirt-bag?!_ Oddly, the more time Rey was spending with Ren, the less she seemed to like him. _If he hates me so much, why give me a ride? Why not just let me walk in the rain till I melt?!_

Watching him from the corner of her eye, Rey cringed toward the passenger side window. She slowly turned her head to look outside and drew her lower lip roughly between her teeth. Professor Ren cursed quietly under his breath. Even beneath all that tangle of wet, dark hair, she was pretty---a _brown-eyed angel_ in jeans and sneakers.

His mind halted at the inward sound of his own description of her. The term _brown-eyed angel_ seemed oddly familiar, but since he couldn't exactly think of the source for that reference at the moment, he pushed the thought aside. 

"Which number is it?" He softened his voice, so much in fact, that Rey could barely hear him.

"It's #7." 

He nodded and shortly pulled the car in front of a three-story, red brick townhouse that had been converted into separate apartments. She was just about to open the door, when she felt Ren grab hold of her arm. _Jesus, you cannot just grab people like that?!_

"Wait," he commanded, now reaching into the backseat to retrieve a rather large black umbrella. "Here, take this."

"It's a short run to the front steps, I think I can manage it, Professor Ren, but thank you for the kind gesture---"

"I don't know care if it was a mile, I'm offering it to you and I want you to take it."

Rey took it and was stunned to see Professor Ren get out of the car, walk around to the passenger's side and open the door for her, waiting for her to open the umbrella while she and her abomination of a bag exited the car. He marched her up the sidewalk and to the front steps of her building.

"Thank you, but, you didn't have to do this," she said as she now tugged on the zipper of her bag, trying to open it so that she could find her keys.

"Yes, I did." he murmured in an agitated voice. "You would've shriveled up like a prune and caught a cold and missed my class."

Rey ignored this a continued to search for her keys. The Professor tried his hardest to hide his distaste at the sight of her bag, but said nothing, He watched as she struggled with the zipper, then watched as her face as it grew redder and redder with each second that ticked by.

Without saying a word, he grabbed the back out of her hands and shoved the now closed umbrella at her.

He ripped open the zipper and held the bag out, inviting her to stick her hand inside to retrieve her keys. She smiled awkwardly, and then stuck her hand into the bag. She found the keys, but she was so nervous, that she dropped them.

When she bent over to pick them up her hands were shaking so badly that she had trouble locating the correct key on her key ring. Having lost all patience with her clumsiness, Ren snatched the key ring from her and began trying different keys into the lock. When he'd succesfully opened the door, he allowed her to enter first before returning her keys.

She then took the bag from him and murmured in a low voice of her thanks. 

"I'll walk you to your apartment, Miss Niima," he announced, following in behind her through the narrow hallway. 

"Why would you---

"Because a homeless person once accosted me in a lobby of my own building once. One can never be too careful."

Rey silently prayed to the Gods, begging them to help her make this encounter a swift and sooth one. For once, they answered her prayers. As she was about to sip behind the door and close it firmly but not unkindly in his face, she stopped. Then, as if she'd known him for years, she smiled gently up at him and politely asked if he would like a cup of tear before he left. 

Despite being surprised by her unexpected invitation, Ren found himself standing inside her apartment before he even had the opportunity to consider whether it was really a good idea or not. As he looked around the small and squalid space, he quickly concluded that it wasn't.

"May I take your coat, Professor?" Rey's cheerful little voice distracted him and brought him back down to earth.

"Where on earth would you put it, may I ask?" he sniffed, noticing primly that she did not have seem to have a closet or a coat rack near the door.

Her eyes immediately dropped to the floor, and she ducked her head. The professor watched her chew her lip nervously and instantly he regretted his overall rudeness towards her. 

"Forgive me, Miss Niima," he said, now handing her his black coat if which he was inordinately proud. "And thank you, for the tea, I mean."

Rey hung up his coat carefully on a hook that was attached to the back of her front door and hastily placed her bag on the hardwood floors. "Come on, make yourself comfortable and I'll go make the tea."

Ren walked into of only two chairs in the entire apartment and sat down, trying for her sake to hide his distaste. The apartment was smaller than his guest bathroom and included a small bed, which was quite literally shoved up against the wall, a card table and two chairs, a small IKEA bookshelf, and a chest of drawers. There was also a small closet and a bathroom, but no kitchen.

His dark eyes roamed the room, looking for any evidence of any kind of culinary activity until they finally settled on a microwave and a hot-plate that were perched somewhat precariously on top of a dresser. A small refrigerator sat on the floor nearby. He suddenly felt....sad. No one should have to live like this.

"I have an electric kettle," Rey said brightly, as if she was announcing the fact that she a huge diamond from Tiffany's. 

He quickly noticed the water that was continuing to steam off her, then he began notice the clothes that were under the water, and then he began to notice what was under her clothes because it was cold....and hastily and somewhat huskily suggested that she forego making tea in order to dry herself. Once again her head tipped down, and she flushed before ducking into the bathroom and grabbing herself a towel.

She emerged a few seconds later with a purple towel wrapped around her upper body over her wet clothes and a second towel in her hand. She moved as if she was going to crawl across the floor to clean up the trail of water that she'd scattered from the door to the center of the room, but the professor quickly stood up and stopped her.

"Please, allow me," he said. "You should go and change into some dry clothes before you catch pneumonia."

"And die?" she added, more to herself than to him as she disappeared into her closet, trying not to trip over two large suitcases that were stationed there.

The professor wondered briefly as to why she hadn't unpacked yet but dismissed the answer, feeling it was unimportant and not his business. He frowned as he began to clean the water from the worn and scratched hardwood floors. When he'd finished, the looked at the walls and noticed that they had probably once been white, but were now a dingy cream color and were blistered and peeling slightly.

He inspected the ceiling and found several large water stains and what he thought might be the beginning of black mold in one of the corners. He shuddered, wondering on earth a nice girl like Miss Niima would live in such a terrible place. Although, he had to admit that the apartment was very clean and quite tidy which was unusually so in this part of New York.

"How much is your rent?" he asked, wincing slightly as he accordioned his six-foot-three frame in order to perch once again on the vile thing that masqueraded as a folding chair.

"Eight hundred a month, utilities included," she called out to him just before she entered the bathroom.

"You're telling me that you pay eight hundred dollars a month for a _dump?_ " Ren asked, his tone both unfeeling and somewhat hostile. 

Rey suddenly reappeared in a pair of old sweatpants and a hoodie. She'd knotted and twisted her lovely brown hair and fastened it near the top of her head with a clip of some sort. Even in such casual garb he noticed that she was _very_ attractive---extremely attractive and dare he say it, sylphlike. He would need all the strength he possessed not to go and make a situation out of this.

"I'm afraid that I only have English Breakfast or Lady Grey. Which do you prefer?," she spoke over her shoulder, descending to her hands and knees in order to snake the plug from the electric kettle back to the outlet that was underneath the dresser. 

Ren regarded her as he kneeled, just as she had in office, and silently shook his head. She was without arrogance or selfish pride, which he knew was a good thing, but it pained him to see her constantly on her knees, although he couldn't exactly say why. However, he had a feeling it was because she had to work just to get a dump like this. 

"English Breakfast is fine. Why do you live here, Miss Niima?"

Rey stood up quickly in response to the sharpness of his tone. She kept her back to him as she located a large, brown teapot and two surprisingly very beautiful china teacups with matching saucers. It was embarrassing to say, she had chosen this place because it was really the only place in the whole city that she could afford----but who needed luxury? She had a roof over her head, running water, and a warm place to sleep at night. What more could she want?

"This is a quiet street in a pretty decent neighborhood. Not to mention, I don't have a car, and I needed to be able to walk to school." She paused as she placed a small silver teaspoon of the saucers. "Plus, this was one of the nicer apartments that I looked at in my price range."

She then placed the elegant teacups on the card table without even looking at him and returned to the dresser. _Why does my living arrangements suddenly matter so much to you, Professor? You hate me, remember?_

"Why didn't you just move into the graduate student residence a half a block from here?"

Rey dropped something. Ren couldn't see what it was, but, it definitely caught his attention for sure. "I was expecting to go to a different university, but, it didn't work out. Aby the time that I decided to come here, the residence was already full. I didn't really have all that much of a choice."

Ren slowly leaned forward in his chair, gesturing wildly. "This a terrible place to live---you don't even have a proper kitchen. What do you eat while you're here?" 

She placed the teapot and another small silver teaspoon on the card table next to his and sat down in the other folding chair. She began wring her hands together in a very nervous fashion. Never had she imagined that she'd have to explain her eating habits to her own professor.

"Well, I---I eat lots of vegetables. I can also make soup and couscous on the hot plate. You know couscous is _very_ nutritious for you." Her voice shook a little, but she tried her best to sound cheerful. 

"You can't live on that kind of rubbish for weeks on end---a dog eats better than you do!" 

Rey ducked her head and blushed deeply, suddenly blinking back tears. Ren looked at her for a brief moment, then finally saw her. As her regarded the tortured expression that marred her lovely features, he slowly began to realize that, he, Professor Kylo Ren was a self-absorbed bastard. He had shamed her for being poor.

But there was no shame in being poor. He had been poor once too, very poor. She was a smart, attractive young woman who was also a student. There was no shame in that. And he would never blame her for wanting an education, for wanting to learn and make a better life for herself. But he'd come into her little home that she had tried to make comfortable because she had no other place to do, and he had said it wasn't even fit for a dog.

He had made her feel worthless and stupid when he knew deep down, she was neither. Professor Ren was an asshole. But at least now he knew it.

"Forgive me," he began haltingly. "I don't know what came over me. I really shouldn't be here. I should go."

And without so much as giving her a second's glance notice, he grabbed his umbrella and his coat and was out of the apartment before she could even protest. Tears stung Rey's eyes-- _-had I said something wrong?_ Perhaps, her living arrangements had appalled him to the point of embarrassment. Whatever, it was, it would be the last time she'd invite Professor Ren into her home ever again.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm starting this chapter a lot later than I had hoped, so it won't all be finished today!

* * *

Ren was driving home from work. It was a rather short drive, although on inclement days and days on which he had an evening engagement, he usually walked. While he traveled though, he thought about the lecture that he was going to give on at the university the following day, on lust with the infamous Mr. Darcy. Lust was in fact, a sin that he found himself thinking about and with much enjoyment. 

In fact, the thought of lust and it's many myriad satisfactions was so tantalizing. Professor Ren found himself pulling his coat closed so the slightly spectacular sight of the front of his pants would not attract untoward attention. And then he saw her. He stopped, staring across the street at the attractive brunette. 

Except this time, he saw that she was not alone. Finn McGregor, a sophomore was holding her hideous bag and walking along with her. They were chatting easily and laughing and strolling rather dangerously close to one another. It wouldn’t have bothered Ren much, that is, until....

_Carrying her bag and books now, are we? How very adolescent of you, McGregor._

Ren watched as the couple's hands brushed ever-so-closely against each other, drawing a small, but warm smile from Miss Niima. A low growl so primal, so animalistic rumbled low in Ren's throat, and his lips curled back from his teeth. He was feeling threatened, he was feeling dangerous—touching what is mine!

 _What the fuck was that all about?_ He thought. Ren took a moment to collect himself. He hadn't seen Rey since his abrupt departure from her apartment last week, and she hadn't exactly made him efforts to seek him out either since then-- _-fuck, that was so stupid of you, Ren!_ He leaned against a window of his car, and tried to figure out what the hell had just happened.

He was a rational agent. He wore clothes to cover his nakedness, he drove a nice car, and he ate with a knife and fork and used a linen napkin. He was gainfully employed in a job that required intellectual ability and acuity. He controlled his sexual urges through various civilized means and would certainly never take a woman against her will. Nevertheless, as he stared at Miss Niima and Finn, he realized that he was an animal. 

Something primitive. Something feral. And something inside him wanted to go over there and rip Finn's hands from his body and carry Miss Niima off and back to his place. To kiss her senseless, move his lips to her neck, to claim her. _What the actual fuck?!_

The thought alone scared the living hell out of him. In addition to being an asshole and a pompous prick, he was a knuckle-dragging, potentially mouth-breathing Neanderthal who felt some proprietary ownership over a younger woman he barely even knew and who clearly hated him. Not to mention the fact that she was also his student.

He needed to go home, lie down, and breathe until he calmed the fuck down. Then he was going to need something else, something much stronger to calm his urges. As Ren continued his journey home, dragging himself away from the sight of two young people. 

It fucked with his head, it fucked with his heart, it fucked with everything that he knew. Rey was _his_ student. She was no more special than any other woman, but, suddenly she was more special. In fact, she was slowly becoming everything to him whether she knew it or not.

"Get it the _fuck_ together, Ren." he murmured angrily to himself, pressing his foot down onto the pedal and speeding off into traffic.

He promised himself he wouldn't look in his rearview mirror, but, alas he was unable to keep that promise. There she was again, laughing, smiling and looking as beautiful as ever---with him. With McGregor. _That should be me, that deserves to me, that will be me!_

He couldn't explain it and the more he tried to rationalize with his own thoughts, the more frustrated it seemed to make him. _She's just a fucking student! What's the big deal here, honestly?_ But Ren was only playing himself for the fool---she was so much more than that and he knew it. Damn, did he know it! He needed to move on, it couldn't happen, it couldn't--it wouldn't--it shouldn't.

Rey bid Finn goodbye and hastily reached for her keys, remembering how frustrated Ren had been about it a week prior. He hadn't spoken to her, hadn't even looked at her in over a week during his lectures. She figured he was so ashamed of what he had seen while he was at her place that were was nothing left to say between them. Rey felt like such a fool to even think that there could be something between them to begin with.

 _You may eight hundred dollars a month for a dump?_ His words and the way they tumbled out of his mouth-- _-hurt_ her.

She hadn't said anything to him while she changed in the closet in silence, but she sure as hell felt his words piercing her soul. He had said what he felt and in doing so about her as well. _He's an asshole and if he knew anything about me, he'd know that not everyone is born with a damn silver spoon in their mouth!_

"Forget him, Rey." she told herself as she tossed her bag onto hardwood floor. "He'll never see anything in you."

However, the distinct knock that came at her door startled her. Maybe Finn forgot to ask her something? Hastily, she strode over towards the door and when she saw Ren standing there, she was utterly speechless. What the hell was he doing here?

"P-Professor?" Rey muttered, still overcome with surprise. "This is an unexpected surprise. What are you doing here?"

His overall demeanor looked troubled. He knew deep down he shouldn't be here. She was _his_ student after all and he had made a vow never to pursue anything with anyone on campus, but she had made that extremely hard for him resist. He _wanted_ her. He desired her and in some small way, he felt that he might possibly be falling for her. 

"I--I wanted to make sure you got home safely." he stuttered, pulling at the collar of his sweater. God, it was unbearably warm in here all of a sudden.

"I did." Rey nodded, still unsure as to why he would care. "Finn walked me home."

"Finn? Finn McGregor?" Ren asked, pretending as if he didn't see the whole display of the walking down the street, laughing aimlessly as if they were an item. He _hated_ it! He _fucking_ hated it!

"Yes, he's just a friend." said Rey with a wave of her hand. 

"You find comfort in him, I see?" Ren stated, his voice sounding somewhat agitated. 

Rey blinked. She had no earthly idea what that meant but she got a sense that Ren--her Professor Ren was suddenly.....jealous of Finn McGregor, an undergrad, like herself. Stepping aside, she asked if he would like to come in and he begrudgingly did so and without complaint as he once again took a seat at her only two folding chairs in the entire apartment.

"I'd make you some tea, but, you would probably storm out again if I did." Rey murmured, remembering their last encounter had been very much like this one, except this time she wasn't soaked down to the bone.

"I had to leave, Miss Niima. I shouldn't have been here that day, it was reckless of me to---." Ren tried to explain as he balled both his hands into fists down at his side. His own growing frustrations of his desire to have Miss Niima all to himself was clouding his better judgment. Nothing about being in her apartment, not once, but twice in the span of two weeks was right.

"You shouldn't be here _now,_ actually, if you want to get technical, Professor." said Rey, smartly, folding her arms and giving him the most unusual death-like glare. "After all, why would you want to waste your time with a girl who lives in an eight-hundred dollar dump no more fit for a dog?"

It excited him. It turned him on his ways unimaginable. _So she does have a feisty side to her after all?_ But her other comment felt like a punch to his gut. He could never take that back no matter how much he wanted too.

"Forgive me, that was wrong," said Ren, apologizing quickly. "I just---you deserve better than---" and he began pointing to everything around her."---than _this_."

"I'm not looking for your pity, sir. I've already explained to you my reasons for choosing this place and--"

"And you _deserve_ better than that and I say that with complete sincerity, Miss Niima." Ren said even more aggressively, cutting her midway through her sentence. 

"Oh so you feel sorry for me, is that it, okay, this is really good!" Rey said with an airy laugh.

The responsible thing for her to do would be to kick him out, to force him to leave, yet she found herself unable to. Rooted to the spot she only could take the blows he was offering and it took her everything she had inside her not to slap him square across his face. He had broken her down, bit by bit, exposing her, revealing every secret, peeling back ever layer and it left her defenseless and vulnerable. 

"Miss Niima, I'm sorry, but you live in a place that's completely unsafe for you!" 

Rounding on him suddenly with the tears streaming down her face she yelled, "Why the fuck do you _even_ care?! You've made it quite clear, I think that you hate my _fucking_ guts! You want me to fail, you want me to think badly of myself, you want to humiliate me! So say whatever you need to say and then leave me the _fuck_ alone!"

"I can't do that." said Ren speaking softly still despite her anger. "And I'll tell you why. It's not just... _.this._ It's everything about _you_ and I don't hate you. I _never_ did."

Hanging his head, he knew everything he was about to say hereafter would change their relationship as a whole, but, he couldn't deny what he felt any longer. She deserved to know the truth and she also deserved to hear it from no one else but him. He was the reason they at come to a head in this part of their relationship. _Fuck a total fucking shmuck I've been! Forgive me, Rey!._

"I'm hard on you all the time because I _want_ your attention, Miss Niima. Your _undivided_ attention."

"Would've felt great if you would've said all the things to me before, Professor," Rey addressed. "But you can't, because you're cold, unfeeling, and selfish and entitled---"

Ren didn’t _even_ spare her the chance to get the rest of her sentence out as he forced his lips against her own, not that whatever she had to say wasn’t true or anything, but he didn’t need to hear it. He didn't want to hear it. He had prided himself on keeping his growing attraction to her at bay, but no longer. He couldn’t.

I mean, how many more Finn McGregor’s would have to take his place before he would wake up and smell the roses? 

The kiss was aggressive, just as he was and Ren poured everything he had been dying into say to her into that kiss---his frustrations towards her, his sexual and spiritual attraction, his jealousy, _everything._ He had every intention to erase Finn or any other guy Rey had come into contact within the last twenty-fours from her mind. She was _his._

Cupping her face, and gasping between their kisses, Ren searched her face in the hopes of receiving a clear cut answer. "Have you ever---have you wanted this, Miss Niima?"

"Since I first saw you, Professor." Rey exhaled deeply.

"Kylo," He corrected her as he ran the pad of his thumb across her cheek. "That's what I want you to call me from now on when we're together....like this. Ren or professor sounds---"

"Too formal?" Rey murmured in a low breath.

"Have you ever been with a man, Rey?" Ren then asked her as he continued to cradle her face in his hands. She was so beautiful, so captivating and he was helpless to her charms. "Have you ever---you know?"

Rey shook her head and replied breathlessly, "No, never and I've _never_ wanted to---I mean, not until you, Kylo."

Just the sound of her voice rolling off her tongue sent chills down his very spine. She _wanted_ him too. If there was only a proper way for Ren to express his happiness, he'd punch the air but the somersaults of joy erupting inside him would be sufficient to sooth the inner beast that was raging inside him. Whether she had realized it or not, she had just made him the happiest man in the world and all because she had given into him.

"Come back to my apartment with me," he said in a raged voice. 

"What's the matter?" She teased as she played with his silky soft hair. "Is my shitty apartment not good enough for you to rail me against this wall?"

"I'd rather take my time with you in the comfort of my sheets where I can worship your body like the goddamn goddess that you are, sweetheart," Ren answered, feeling heat swelling inside his stomach. "You deserve that. You deserve to be worshipped....every.....fucking.....square....inch....of you."

"So this is Ren? The real Kylo Ren, huh?" said Rey now grinning from ear to ear as she searched his face with her eyes.

"In the flesh." He smirked before leaning forward to kiss her again. “Why is he not satisfying enough for you?” 

“No.” she answered with a quick shake of her head. “No, he’s—I just really would like to get to know him better, is all.”

All in all, Rey felt that she could really get used to this---this side of Kylo Ren, that is. At least in some small way he seemed like a pleasant person to be around. That other half could be more of a work-in-professs. Besides, there was no rushing this thing, whatever it was that was transpiring between the two of them. 

* * *

They didn’t say much else as Ren drove them back towards his apartment on the far side of the city. Already in her mind, she was picturing some grand mansion sitting perched atop of a skyscraper or some high-class suite, after all, it suited a guy like Ren, anyways. Yet, as he came to a complete stop in front of a tall plain red-brick building, she couldn’t help but feel a little duped.   
  
“What?” he said when he saw her facial expression. “What were you expecting some rich, high-class building?” 

“Well...” Rey began as she reached for her coat. “...yeah, I kind of was, actually.” 

“I’m a professor, not a millionaire, Rey.” Ren chuckled darkly as he opened the door. 

A valet in a plum purple suit came bustling towards them, tipping his hat to Rey just as Ren handed him his car keys. He then asked if he would be using his vehicle any more this evening, to which, Ren replied no. Extending his hand towards Rey he led her to the spinning glass doors and into the main lobby.   
  
“Although, I can afford a valet. He comes with the building.” Ren added as he pushed the button to signal the elevator. 

It was such a bizarre and oddly weird thing to see Ren having a sense of humor, but, Rey would rather have this side of him than the me she had been accustomed to for the last scream months. People tended to be a lot more to be around when they weren’t all stiff like an ironing board. As they stepped into the elevator and he hit the button to his floor she couldn’t help but feel the sexual tension radiating between them like a magnet. 

“You think McGregor would be jealous if he knew you were here with me right now?” Ren asked, a cheeky grin now spreading across his face. 

“He’s just a friend, Ren,” Rey addressed I’m a firm voice. “There’s no need to go and make this— _this_ thing between you and me about him, okay?” 

“I’m just asking a simple question, Miss—“ 

“And turning it into something that it doesn’t need to be,” Rey quickly intervened as she folded her jacket over her arm. “If I _wanted_ to be with him, I would be. But I’m not. I’m here with _you._ ”   
  
Ren could only guess his own personal reasons for wanting to antagonize her about the situation was to have her full confidence. She was here with him, sure, but what about afterwards? Would McGregor still have some sort of hold on her? A plan to win over his affections? Ren would need to make absolutely sure he did not before going any further with Rey.

As far as he was concerned, Rey was _his_. She _belonged_ to him. In time, he felt she would come to see it too. 

_Ding!_ Looking up Rey saw they had reached topmost floor and when the doors slid open she quickly noticed that his apartment was the only one on this level. It occurred to her that Ren was not much of a people person as he had made himself out to be to his students. He was more of a loner. _Not much of a entertainer are you, Ren?_

"You live on this entire floor?" She asked him the second they stepped off, surprised as to why a single man would need so much space.

"I _own_ this whole floor." Ren replied as he reached for his set of keys. "I pay good money to have my privacy, Rey. One of the perks of knowing the owner of the building, he gets me great discounts. When I first moved to New York, I wanted a place where I could work and not be bothered by other people and he was the best in town." 

The lock of the key made a faint click and Ren pushed the door open to reveal a beautiful cream-colored foyer with extensively clean granite black tile. Tossing his keys into a small bowl on a floating table, Rey loosened his eye and placed his black-leather satchel next to what looked like a vase (if you could call it a vase, I mean). Walking through towards the main living area Rey's eyes were met with the most decorative and modern décor she had ever seen.

Everything felt clean--- _sterile,_ even, but it still managed to feel like a-- _-home._

"Here," said Ren softly as he reached for the coat on her back, pulling it off slowly down her shoulders. "Let me take that for you. Would you like something to drink?"

"What?" Rey quipped, surprised. "You mean you're not just going to go ahead and bed me like I know you're so desperately wanting to?"

Smirking, Ren briskly walked over and cupped Rey's face in his hands and whispered, "If I wanted to just _fuck_ you, believe me, doll, I would've done it long before now." Pausing briefly, he pushed her long soft brown hair over her shoulders and then stared back at her once more. "I want to establish more of a stronger foundation between us than just casual sex."

"And what kind of relationship are you interested in then?" 

"Well, we can't date, obviously, for many reasons," Ren told her in a firm yet gentle voice. "Not until you graduate, that is. However, that doesn't mean we can't have fun on the side so long as we're careful."

"Meaning---"

"Meaning the usual when it comes to these sort of relationships, Rey," Ren explained. "You won't tell your friends and I won't tell my colleagues, obviously that we are seeing each other outside of the classroom. We won't fuck on campus unless it's in my _own_ private office and the biggest rule of all."

"Biggest one?" Rey questioned, brows lifting with curiosity. 

"Yeah, the one where I won't wear a condom and also the one where I won't cum inside you, that one, yes." said Ren, smirking playfully down at her. It sent a shiver all down her spine in the most delicious ways. "I'll wear condoms of course if that is your preference, but, I'd rather not, as they are rather uncomfortable and---"

"I have an IDU implant, anyways, _so-_ \--"

"Excellent and to keep your fears at bay, I am clean and I get regular check-ups on a daily basis." 

Swallowing hard at the prospect of her sleeping with her English professor, Rey muttered, "Good to know. I _um_....you know I think I'll have that drink now."

"Of course."

Ren quickly disappeared into his kitchen and began scrambling around the upper cabinets for a glass and some of pinot wine. When he returned seconds later, he saw that she was rather pale in the face, almost as if she had seen a ghost. At first, Ren didn't understand why she was so nervous-- _-so_ afraid. Hadn't he proven to her that they had more in common that previously thought? Or maybe she was just unsure of where he would take their so called _"relationship"._

"Here you are," said Ren, handing her the class.

"Thanks." She replied taking a long sip.

"You look a little-- _-flushed_." said Ren cautiously. "I do hope that I have not overwhelmed you with my position of our arrangement, Miss Niima. "

"Well, I was wondering---does--- _does_ our little arrangement include like _"diners or dates"_ things of that nature? Like, will we go out together and---"

He knew what she was asking and a part of him wanted to be able to give her that kind of _lovey-dovey_ relationship, but so long as he was her professor and she his student, it could never be so. Ren was already treading on dangerous grounds as it were by even proposing this between them now.

"Rey, try not to get wrapped up in what our relationship will be and just go with it," Ren told her in an carefree tone. "I think you will find it much more fulfilling if you do."

"Easy for you to say, Ren," Rey scoffed, now folding her arms. "People sometimes get emotionally involved and attached to someone after they sleep with them and if you're looking for someone who doesn't, then I'm afraid I'm not the right girl for you."

"I didn't say that I wouldn't get emotionally involved with you, Rey." Ren said, his tone rather sharp and discrete. "As far as I am concerned, I'm already attached to you as I'll ever be. I'm just remembering that even while I'm willing to test these waters with you, I _still_ have a job to do and a reputation to uphold."

And there it was--- _still_ , if he wanted to be with her as much as he said, he wouldn't be so afraid to give into what she knew they both wanted. How was this thing going to work if they couldn't even get past this little phase? Somehow she saw it all happening and coming to an end before it really even had a chance to begin,


	4. Chapter 4

How was this even going to work? As Rey finished up in the restroom, she continued to look at the reflection staring back at her. Her English professor wanted to embark on a relationship with her, and _not_ just any ordinary relationship, but a sexual one at that. She figured she ought to feel excited… _.empowered_ , even, but it wasn't at all in the way she had hoped.

Sure, he had treated her like garbage in the beginning and he had jealous issues, but all along she had been harboring these same feelings towards him in return. Opening the door, she saw him standing there with a sincere smile etched across his face and clutched at her chest in fright.

"You scared me, Ren." said Rey as she switched off the light-switch, stepping back out into the hallway.

"Sorry," he apologized. "And I thought we agreed that you would call me Kylo and not Ren."

"Right, sorry."

As Kylo gave her the grand tour of his five-bedroom grand mansion-of-an-apartment, Rey couldn't believe that someone as attractive as him would had all this space and live alone? Climbing the stairwell, they entered his office/library and Rey immediately fell in love with the wood-work and all the tattered and worn leather bound books aligned all along on the towering shelves that went around the entire room.

"I see where your love for books come into play." Rey said as she ran her finger along one of the book's spines.

"Most kids enjoyed things like sports, but not me," said Ren as he moved to join her. "No, I enjoyed literature and I guess one of the very first books that I remember was one that my mom used to read to me every single night. My love for literature followed me all the way through my school years and into college."

"I like that about you."

Kylo slowly leaned in and kissed Rey fully on the lips, savoring her taste, the feel of her lips against his. Maybe, there could be a way to bend the rules----just a _tiny_ bit, for her. She had proven herself, she had come back here with him after all he had said and done, he could at least be lenient on his part.

Once he pulled back, he searched her face, "I'm glad that you like that about me and after some due consideration, I've agreed to sweeten the deal. How about this Friday, I take you out."

"Like on a date?" Rey asked him, surprised.

"Yeah, like a real official date _"date"_ , just the two of us." Ren nodded. 

"I accept." Rey murmured, grinning from ear to ear.

In fact, it made her so happy that before Kylo even had a chance to react, she was jumping into his arms, nearly knocking him backwards onto the floor. 

"Easy there, Rey," said Kylo, though as happy as he was about this arrangement between them, there would see need to be rules that needed to be put into place. "As eager as I am about rather adventurous spirit, there still has to be some rules, I'm afraid. This is quite dangerous, a professor seeing his students in-and-out of the classroom, I mean?"

Rey frowns, stepping back from him. She couldn't deny the fact the that, that last comment hit something deep inside her. From the tone and the way it came tumbling from his mouth---he's done this before, hasn't he? When Kylo noticed her suddenly growing distant, he immediately reached for her hand and caressed it affectionately in a way that he had never done before.

"What as it, Rey?" he asked.

"Y-You've done this before, haven't you?" Rey murmured in a hurtful voice, doing her best not to let herself succumb to tears. "With other students, I mean?"

"Do I look like the sort of man who would brings his female students back to his apartment for a quick romp in the sheets, Rey?"

She didn't really know whether to answer that question honestly or not. I mean, what the hell was she? A student and she had come back with him to his apartment for the intentions to which he had just explained. What other reason could it possibly be for?


End file.
